Burglar-alarm



` (No Mo ddddd f l N0.42o,697. Patentedeb.4,189o.

BU RRRRRRRRR Ml H ff 'ml/l 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

N. M. POWELL.

(No Model.)

BURGLAR ALARM.

Patented Feb. 4, 1890.

W/TNESSES 0 5 Arm/mn N, PETERS, Plwwnmngwphw. wnshmglun. D C.

(No Model.) 4 Sheetse-Sheet 4.

N. M. POWELL.

BURGLAR ALARM;

Patented Feb. 4, 1890.

Qu.. E S S E, N l W 4@ V ATTORNEY N. PETER; whanrmhogmplw. wmingmn. n.0.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

NOAH M. POVELL, OF REGER, MISSOURI.

BU RG LAR-ALARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 420,697, dated February4, 1890. Application led August 17, 1889. Serial No. 321,167. (Nomodel.)

Tol all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NOAH M. POWELL, residing at Reger, in the county ofSullivan and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Burglar-Alarms,

.of which the following is a specification.

tric alarm-bells and indicators, so that anyv attempt or endeavor toreach the safe will cause said alarm-bells to ring, and also indicate inwhat manner the operator might be endeavoring to reach the safe.

To this end my invention consists in certain novel featuresofconstruction and peculiar combination of parts, all of which willhereinafter be fully described in the specification, and particularlypointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of my improvement.Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the same on line 2 2, Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3 3, Fig.'2. Fig. 4. is a topplan view of the platform, partly broken away to more clearlyyillustrate some of the parts. Fig. 5 is a detail section on the line 55, Fig. 3; and Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, and l0 are detail views hereinafter.referred to.

In the accompanying drawings, Aindicates a hollow platform or framemounted upon suitable legs a d, provided with rollers a a', as shown.Inside of this frame are hung the scale bearing or balance bars B B',the inner ends b Z9 of the bar B beinghung in thebearings c c, suspendedfrom the frame A, while the end b2 of the bar is extended and its endhung to the lower end of the rod C', which is connected at its upper endto the scale-beam C, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Theinner ends of the bar B are hung in bearings c c', suspended from theframe A, While the outer or free end of said bar is linked to the bar B,as shown at b3.

D denotes a platform formed of one-fourth inch steel, which is cut abouttwo inches larger than the width and breadth of the platform A. Thisplatform is suspended below the frame A, and is formed with four holesCZ, through which the legs a a pass. To thisn platform are securedbracket-irons d', provided With upturned ends d2, which are hung onshort pintles b5 b5, projected laterally from the arms b b and Z9 b',and by means of which the platform is suspended from the scale-balancebars.

E denotes a platform secured over the top of the hollow frame A, uponwhich is placed the safe F, as shown. At one side 0f the platform isarranged a frame or box about two feet high, six inches wide, and thelength of the frame, in which the beam and balanceweights are located,and which I will term the beam-box7 G.

H denotes a casing or covering of pyramidal shape, made of one-eighthsheet-steel,which fits over the safe andv platform A and rests upon`theswinging platform D, the scale-beam being adj ust-ed to balance theweight of said platform and cover. v

- The casing is provided with two doors I J, one of which I is a largedoor and opens to the front, so as to admit of ready access to the safe.This door is provided with a handle similar to a safe-handle, but nolock. The handle may, however, be provided with a spring-bolt, so that aperson would have to/ turn down the same before the bolt would springback. At the corner at which the large door hangs the arm b of thescale-bar B is made of a larger leverage, so that when the door I isswung open the increased weight at this point on said arm will tilt thesaid bars, and thereby cause the scale-beam to swing down and operate anelectric alarm in the following manner: y

K denotes a battery, which may be located within the safe, the beam-box,or elsewhere, from which lead the circuit-wires Zo Zo, to one of whichis connected a local alarm-bell circuit kx,which will operate on anopening of the circuit on the wires Zo. These wires are connected with acircuit-breaking device located within the beam-box, and which consistsof an insulated U-shaped plate L, in which are adj usted thebinding-screws Z Z Z Z', said screws Z Z and Z Z being connected byspring-arms on m', one arranged above and in contact with the upper setof screws Z Z and the other below the lower set of the screws l Z', andtherebynormally carrying the current through the several screws. Thisdevice is located in one end of the beam-box in such a manner that theend of the scale-beam will play between the arms m fm', and whenproperly adjusted will be disposed centrally between said arms, but outof contact therewith. It will thus be seen that should the beam becaused to tilt up or down from any cause whatever it will operate tostrike either of the arms m m', and thereby move same from contact withthe screws Z Z and break the main circuit on wires Zo k, and therebycause the local bellcircuit to ring the alarm.

The small door .I is located on the side ot the casing H, and isarranged so as to admit of access to the beam-box to permit adjustingthe scale-beam. As it is necessary that said beam-box should be securelyprotected, I provide the door with an electric locking device, which canonly be operated by the breaking or making of the current. Said lockingdevice, which is most clearly illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings,consists of a sliding armature M, provided with a lug M, adapted toengage a recess or socket a in the door, said armature operated by amagnet N, )laced above the door inside the casing. In operation when itis desired to lock the door the current on the circuit-wires P P isbroken, which allows the armature M to drop and lock the door. When itis desired to unlock, the circuit is closed, thereby raising the armature and unlocking the door. As an additional safeguard againstopening said door v J and to prevent a blow-pipe being used to melt thesame, I provide the door upon its inner side with a thermostat O, towhich are connected the circuit-wires o o, connected with a suitablebattery. By this construction it will be seen that in case a blow-pipeis used upon the door the thermostat will operate to close the circuiton the wires o o and cause an alarm-bell Q on said circuit to ring.Should the door by any means be opened and turned down, the mercury inthe thermostat would run down and close the contacts of the wires o o inthe said thermostat, and cause the alarm-bell Q to ring during theentire time that the door may be swung down.

To prevent the casing being raised by means of a lever being insertedunder the same, and also to prevent access to the inside of said casingby means of prying the top plate off the same, I provide the lower edgeof said case, as also the meeting ends of the sides and top plate, withthe following devices:

R denotes a series of leaf-springs arranged on the upper and lower edgesof the casing, over which is placed a continuous strip of rubber S, andover said rubber is placed a metal strip T, as most clearly shown inFig. 7. With'the springs R and the metal strips T are connected wires UU of an electric circuit connected with a suitable battery and providedwith an alarm-bell V.

W denotes a series of buttons secured in the lower edges of the casing,which are connected with switch-sections in the circuitwires U U.

By the above construction it will be seen that by arranging the springsR, rubbers S, and metal plate T as described that in case any personshould try to enter a wedge be tween the lower edge of the casing oriioor the rubber would give and not allow the casing or shell to bewedged stationary, and in case any one should burn out the rubber thespringsR would curl and come in contact with the metal strip T, andlthereby close a circuit and ring the alarm. It will also be seen thatin ease a door-vise is used to confine the shell or casing in itsposition the buttons would be forced in and an electric connection madewith the eircuitwires U U, and thereby cause the bell V to ring.

IV indicates an indicator, which may be placed at any desired point towhich the several circuit wires are led, and which will indicate at whatpoint attempt is being made to reach the safe.

In practice I prefer to place the indicator W in the main or centraloffice of the safe insurance companies. By this means no one can gainaccess to a safe without the company being cognizant of the fact. i

It will be understood that any approved method of electric-circuit-wiresystems may be used in connection with my improvements; or a main wireprovided with suitable relays, having local alarm-circuits connectedtherewith, may be employed, it being understood that I do not wish toconfine myself to any particular manner of arranging the electriccircuits.

From the foregoing it will readily be seen that by balancing the case orshell and conneeting the various portions thereof with electricalarm-bell, as described, that any attempt to lift or depress the samewill cause the scale-beam to operate .an alarm, and by attempting toopen the doors or applying a floor-vise, &c., alarms will be rung, aswell as causing the indicator at the central office to give notice ofthe operations.

By my invention, when same is properly set, no one can possibly gainaccess to the safe without causiu g the said fact to be made known.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with the frame adapted to support Vthe safe, ascale-platform suspended therefrom, a housing placed over said safe andresting on said platform, and the scale-beam, of an alarm-bell in anelectric circuit, a circuit-breaker formed in said eircuit and disposedin connection with Said scale-beam, said breaker adapted to be oper*ated by the movement of the scale-beam, sub

IIO

provided with a door I, of an alarm in an electric-circuit breakerarranged to be operated by the movement of the scale-beam, said beamadapted to be tilted down when said door I is swung open, substantiallyin the manner and for the purpose described.

3. The combination, with the safe-supporting frame, the scale-platformhung thereon, the scale-beam connected therewith and disposed above thesupporting-frame, said beam adapted to engage a contact-maker in anelectric circuit when vibrated, and an alarm in said electric circuitadapted to be operated by the movement of said beam, of a casing placedover said safe and resting on said platform, provided with a doorarranged adjacent to the scale-beam, and a lock adapted to be operatedby the making or breaking of an electric circuit independent of thescale-beam circuit, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination, with the casing or shell H, provided with a door J,and a locking device operated by the making or breaking of an electricalcircuit, of a thermostat arranged upon the inner side of said door, saidthermostat adapted to be operated when said door is swung open,substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The combination, with the supportingframe, a scale-platform supportedtherefrom, the scale-beam connected therewith, said beam disposed toengage a contact-breaker in an electric circuit when vibrated, a housingor shell supported on said platform and over the safe, and an alarm-bellin said circuit, of push-buttons projected to the outside of said shell,said buttons adapted to control an electric circuit and operate analarm-bell in said circuit when pressure is applied against them,substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. The combination, with the safe-supporting frame, the scale-bars hungtherein, a scaleplatform supported from said bars, a scalebeam connectedwith said bars, said beams disposed adjacent to anelectric-circuit-contact maker or breaker, whereby the vibration of saidbeam will operate said circuit, and a shell or housing disposed over thesafe and resting on the said scale-platform, of an alarm in saidelectric circuit and an indicator adapted to be operated by the swingingmovement of the scale-beam, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

7 The combination, with the safesupport ing frame, a housing or shelldisposed over said safe and supported on said platform, the series ofsteel springs connected to the bottom of said shell, rubber cushionsdisposed over said springs, and metallic strips over said cushions, saidsprings and metallic strips connected with an electric circuit, of analarmbell in said circuit adapted to be operated by the removal of therubber cushion between said springs and strip, substantially for thepurpose and in the manner hereinbefore de-

